Into the Fire
by rhead-a-holyc
Summary: Eileen never thought it would get worse. Until it did. Mentions of abuse.


Eileen wondered, idly, if she was the only pureblood to hate tradition.

For all the Pureblood mannerisms and traditions that had been taught to her by her parents and tutors, there was nothing in them that could make her believe any of it. Eileen couldn't care less if the head of the Malfoy family thought she was rude because she didn't immediately leave her room to great him upon his arrival.

It was ridiculous, really. Eileen couldn't wait to leave Prince Manor, her parents, and the entire Pureblood society when she turned seventeen. Not that her parents would know anything about that, they would only find out after she had left, and Eileen would make sure they wouldn't be able to find her. Her parents would never bother venturing into the muggle world, after all. They were above that sort of thing.

Personally, Eileen thought that they simply wouldn't be able to navigate themselves through it without breaking the Statute of Secrecy. Their hatred would paralyze them here. They would have to make some excuse or risk being shunned by their precious society, something that Eileen took a grim satisfaction in.

The repercussions didn't matter. All Eileen cared about was escaping.

She could figure out the rest.

 **…oOo…**

She turned seventeen today.

After seventeen years of living a life she had hated, and faking her beliefs, Eileen was finally free. Her parents couldn't hold her back any more, they couldn't control her and force her to marry someone she didn't care about just to improve the Prince family connections.

Prince manor was decorated for her birthday party, which also served as a way to find a potential husband and official introduce her to pureblood society as an adult. Eileen would be expected to greet everyone by name, and try not to sneer at their pompous attitudes.

It was one of the most important occasions in any pureblood's life, and for anyone to reject an invitation would be a direct insult to the Prince family just as not being invited had been an insult to any other pureblood family. Naturally they were all invited, and everyone had also agreed to attend.

It was ridiculous.

The white dress, that her mother had arranged to be designed especially for her, lay on her bed. It was beautiful, Eileen could admit that much. It would be the last expensive thing she would wear until she found her footing within the muggle world.

Eileen planned to leave tonight. After the birthday ball was over, which would give her more than enough time to leave before her parents noticed her absence, especially since they would have to ensure that she hadn't visited any other pureblood family first.

 **…oOo…**

Leaving had been the biggest mistake of her life, Eileen thought, her eyes closing as a grimace of pain crossed her face. Her hatred of things she could never understand had led her to this man, who feared magic. Eileen had thought that muggles like these were only stories pureblood families made up to scare their children, and stop them from entering the muggle world without them.

She curled up into a ball as the thin edge of her husband's belt bit into her back. She tried her best to shield her unborn child within her womb. The fact that it was also _his_ child didn't matter. The child was innocent in all of this. He or she hadn't been the one to force her to run away from home, nor choose this man. The only thing Eileen could do was protect the child.

Her magic barely reacted to her anymore. The magic she had been so proud of had abandoned her with her conflicting emotions. Tobias had been wonderful when they had first met, and Eileen had fallen for him. She couldn't deny that she was still in love with Tobias, to some extent. The man she had fallen in love with was in there somewhere. Eileen was sure she would find the person she loved eventually.

The contractions started suddenly, and Eileen screamed, unable to find another outlet to the pain. Tobias' belt was nothing compared to this pain.

In a world filled with pain, time had little meaning. Eileen had no idea how long the pain lasted, only that it came from where her precious child was. The fear and the pain was mixed together until she could barely take it anymore. She could feel the sweat causing her clothing to stick to her skin like it would never be removed.

And suddenly, it was broken by a cry. A beautiful, beautiful cry.

"You'd better hope he isn't a freak like you."

 **Written for One Prompt Many Fandoms Monthly Competition [Expand Your Horizons] – Eileen Prince**

 **Written for Ultimate Chocolate Frog Card Trading and Duelling Club – Everard [challenge: write about a celebrated act]**


End file.
